March 17, 2011
By: Josh Bruner, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team picked up an 11-6 win in its home opener against Oberlin College on Thursday, March 17, 2011. With the win, Bluffton improved to 6-5 overall. The Yeomen (0-1) were playing their first game of the season.
In the top of the first, the Yeomen took advantage of an early error to drive in two runs. The Beavers stepped up to the plate and responded with a tally of their own in the first. Sophomore Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic), who was hit by a pitch, was the first to cross the plate following a Tyler Wright (Troy) single.
An inning later, Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) plated Tim Webb (Delaware) for the second run thanks to an Oberlin error, making it 2-2.
Oberlin put together two hits in the fourth to drive in another run. Bluffton once again answered as Richardson doubled home two runs and Wright delivered an RBI singled for the third tally of the inning. The Beavers took their first lead of the afternoon at the end of the fourth, 5-3.
Bluffton continued to pour it on as a Yeomen throwing error with Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) at the plate sent Webb and Niermann scurrying home.
The visitors pulled together in the top of the sixth to push three runs across the plate courtesy of a three-run McDonald bomb. Bluffton once again responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Josh Mendoza (Gibsonburg/Fremont Ross) drove in the first with a single. Webb's doubled plated Mendoza and he crossed the plate after a throwing error on a Doug Paullin (Jeromesville/Hillsdale) single.
A Tyler Wright double drove in Broyles as Bluffton added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Both teams went down quietly in the eighth and ninth innings as Bluffton claimed an 11-6 win in its 2011 home opener.
Webb led Bluffton, going 4-of-4 at the plate and scoring all four times while driving in one run. Wright added three RBI while going 3-of-4 at the plate. Richardson chipped in with two safeties and two RBI.
Ryan Leugers (Botkins) picked up the win, bumping his record to 1-1. He worked seven strong innings, allowing six runs, just three earned, on eight hits with eight strikeouts. Nick Rodesky (Bowling Green) closed it out with two scoreless frames on the hill.
Bluffton will be back in action Saturday, March 19, as they host 7-0 Thomas More for a doubleheader at Memorial Field. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-